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25.01.2025

Fragments of legacy: The echoes of power and creation

Exploring the broken remnants of Constantine the Great and the tomb of Michelangelo, this reflection contrasts imperial ambition with artistic and intellectual legacies, revealing the true path to everlasting legacy.

By Raja Izz, MBA

Roman Emperor Constantine The Great and Byzantine Emperor Justinian The Great.

Photo: Shadow of Constantinople

  

In the silent corridors of the Istanbul Archaeology Museum, I stood before the fragmented remains of Constantine the Great—once the most powerful emperor of the Roman world. These broken marble pieces, unceremoniously displayed, were once the centerpiece of the Church of the Holy Apostles, where the Byzantine emperors laid to rest, a testament to imperial grandeur now reduced to forgotten museum fragments.

The Sarcophagus remains of Constantine The Great in Istanbul Archeology Museum. Originally located at the Church of the Holy Apostles, the Constantine remains have been destroyed by the crusaders during the Sack of Constantinople.

Photo: Author's own

 

The irony was not lost on me. Constantine The Great, who transformed the Roman Empire and birthed the Byzantine civilization, now resided in quiet obscurity. His physical legacy—once adorned with gold, marble, and imperial splendor—now lay scattered, a humble reminder of the transient nature of worldly power.

Across the museum, these fragments told a story beyond historical narrative. They whispered a profound truth about ambition: true legacy is not achieved through conquest (power), but through the ability to inspire, create, and transcend physical limitations (elegance).

Michelangelo's Tomb in Florence's Basilica of Santa Croce.

Photo credit: Frizio

 

Consider the stark contrast with artists like Michelangelo and philosophers like Niccolo Machiavelli, whose legacies I had encountered in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, during my vacation in 2016. Their tombs stood not as monuments of power, but as shrines to intellectual and artistic brilliance. While emperors' bodies were destroyed and their physical monuments shattered, these creators continued to breathe life through their work.

Sculpture of David (King David/Prophet Daud) by Michaelangelo.

Photo credit: TripSavvy / Christopher Larson

 

Michelangelo's sculptures still make humanity pause in wonder. Machiavelli's ideas in "The Prince" continue to challenge and provoke intellectual discourse about power, centuries after his death. Their ambition was not about territorial conquest, but about pushing the boundaries of human potential, revealing beauty and understanding.

Byzantine emperors were interred at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. Constantine the Great's mausoleum, positioned adjacent to the church, featured a rotunda, as shown in the bottom center of this photo.

Photo: Shadow of Constantinople

 

The fragments of Constantine became a metaphor for a deeper philosophical revelation: Ambition is not about domination, but about revelation. The most profound power lies not in controlling territories, but in the ability to discover the puzzle of the universe, touch human souls, to create something that outlives physical existence.

Every fragment tells a story. Constantine's broken marble speaks of fallen empires. Michelangelo's enduring art speaks of eternal human spirit. The difference is not in their ambition, but in what they chose to create.

Beauty is not discovered through conquest, but through the courageous act of revealing what lies beneath the surface. It requires vulnerability, imagination, and the willingness to see beyond the immediate.

As I stood before those fragments, a question resonated: What will you create that will transcend your physical existence? What beauty will you unveil that will continue to inspire long after you are gone?

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